Vic Schaefer's dominant Longhorns and historic success land him on the prestigious Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List.
Texas women’s basketball continues to stack national recognition, and head coach Vic Schaefer is once again in the spotlight.
Schaefer has been selected to the 2026 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Watch List, placing him among the top coaches in NCAA women’s basketball this season.
The honor reflects what has already been a dominant year for the fourth-ranked Texas Longhorns.
Texas sits at 24-3 overall and has built one of the strongest resumes in the country. The Longhorns own 10 Quad 1 victories - tied for the national lead - and have beaten 10 ranked opponents, including four top-10 teams.
That combination of consistency and high-end wins has kept Texas firmly in the national championship conversation.
In his sixth season in Austin, Schaefer has transformed the program into a powerhouse.
He holds a 168-39 record at Texas, good for an .812 winning percentage. Even more impressive, the Longhorns are 92-12 since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign, showcasing sustained dominance in both conference and non-conference play.
Under Schaefer’s leadership, Texas has captured two conference regular-season titles and two conference tournament championships.
The program has also made four Elite Eight appearances in the last five seasons and reached the 2025 Final Four - its first in more than two decades.
Schaefer, a two-time national Coach of the Year and five-time conference Coach of the Year, now finds himself alongside some of the sport’s biggest names on the watch list, including Geno Auriemma (UConn), Dawn Staley (South Carolina), Kim Mulkey (LSU), Kara Lawson (Duke), and Cori Close (UCLA).
With March approaching and postseason play looming, Schaefer’s Longhorns are positioned for another deep NCAA Tournament run ... and his latest national recognition feels well earned.